Yao Ming's Diary and other news.

1. http://china.yaoming.net/96/64/news210916496.shtml

This is the latest diary of Yao at his website.

He said he has been used to the busy schedule of Rockets. Now his rhythm of life is very slow. He has to go to bed before 10 pm every day (because of the discipline of NT).

He watched the NBA finals and said it is defence that brings Spurs the championship.

He said his English is retrograde. Now he always practices English at his spare time alone.

He will have a short break after Asian Basketball Championships and then begin his second year at NBA.

2. http://www.yaoming.net/newsfulltext.aspx?nid=149

This is another article in Yao's website. Don't know how many of you have read it.


7/1/2003

ROCKET MAN
By Martin Wong
Giant Robot

In the tunnels of Staples Center, no one knows anything about an alleged pre-game press conference. Not the Staples’ guards with walkie-talkies, the Clippers’ posse in their sweatsuits, nor the guy in front of the Rockets’ locker room–where’s Leonard Nimoy when you need him? After digging a groove between the Chick Hearn pressroom and the visitors’ locker room, my photographer and I leave the building to get some fresh air. Who would have thought it could be so difficult to track down a 7’5” center from Shanghai?

Under the skyscrapers of Downtown L.A., there is an energy that Clippers games don’t usually generate. Tonight’s buzz comes courtesy of Houston Rockets rookie Yao Ming.

At least a third of the fans gravitating toward the arena are swelling-with-pride Asians. The rest are glomming onto the emerging hoops legend for the cultural novelty and to appreciate his skills, awed by his unexpected early entry into the NBA’s elite.

I’ve done everything short of camping out at Yao’s hotel to reach him–hounding Clippers and Rockets media relations offices, spending time with his management, and arriving early to participate in an unverified press conference with a bunch of other press grommets. Since All-Star Weekend, he has declined all interview requests, including 60 Minutes and The Tonight Show, to focus on his game. Tonight I’m not a journalist with access to his highness’s coveted mind; I’m merely part of the Yao feeding frenzy.

PLAY THE GAME

“Are you with the Chinese press?” a Staples employee asks me in the elevator on the way to the pressroom on the top level. Nope, but it seems like everyone else is. One level above the nosebleed seats, where non-game reporters like me are placed, only one of the reporters is not Asian or Asian American.

Courtside, mixed along with the Clipper faithful, is a mix of Asian tourists: older businessmen blinging in gold and jade, parachute kids in designer clothing, and second-tier actors hoping to tap into Yao’s magic. Up high in the cheap seats, Asian families pass around baggies of shrimp chips and hold signs with Yao’s name written in Chinese.

The Clippers organization appears to have gone to great lengths to make Yao and his fans feel at home. A local Asian boy band belts out a slick a cappella treatment of the national anthem. (They also sang it a few weeks before, when the Lakers hosted the Rockets.) Then the game ball is presented by a season-ticket holder, who happens to be Asian as well. At least the Clippers don’t hand out fortune cookies, as the Miami Heat did earlier in the season when Houston came to town.

When the game starts, it’s somewhat surprising to see 6’10” Eddie Griffin and not Yao step to center court to take the tip-off. But all eyes are on the 7’5” import from China who, in his last 12 games, has averaged 15.8 points and 9.7 rebounds. The night before in Sacramento, he scored 11 and pulled down 19 boards–his season high.

Cherokee Parks draws first blood for the home team with an 18-foot jumper, but the visitors go ahead with three straight treys and never look back. Steve Francis proceeds to set up the star rookie for a two-handed jam under the basket. A few minutes later, Yao takes a pass from Griffin and makes a 10-foot turnaround jump shot to put Houston up 17-8. By the time Yao takes a break with 3:11 to go in the quarter, the Rockets lead 26-14. At the end of the period, the visiting team is up 34-18.

Yao spends most of the remaining game on the bench resting his chiseled head on his massive hands as the Rockets coast to victory. Even so, the game’s eastern theme continues. During a break in action, an Asian fan answers a trivia question: Which Clipper was a top-10 scorer in the 2000 Olympics? The answer is Wang Zhizhi, who averaged 13.5 points and five boards per game. When Wang grabs an offensive board and jams it in the hoop in the fourth quarter, the speakers blare a new wave hit from the ’80s: “Everybody Wang Chung tonight!”

At the game’s end, Yao has scored only 8 points in 20 minutes of action. The player of the game is Houston’s James Posey, who shot a deadly 8 out of 9, including 5 of 6 behind the 3-point line. Most of the Asian reporters shifted their attention to Wang, the second-year center from Beijing who notched 9 points while shooting an anemic 3 of 10 in a losing effort.

THE NIGHT COMES DOWN

After the game, I gather with about a dozen Asian paparazzi outside the visiting team’s locker room. Assistant Coach Larry Smith comes out first to field questions about the 108-90 blowout.

“Yao and Wang Zhizhi never played against each other tonight. Was there something to that?” asks one reporter. The coach smiles and explains that Yao is resting up for future games. Other questions address Yao’s energy level and his upcoming showdown with Shaquille O’Neal.

The dumb questions and polite answers cease when Yao peeks into the hallway. Then he retreats into the locker room and sits on a bench, eye-to-eye with the small army of journalists who surround him. The first reporter asks in Mandarin, “When Wang Zhizhi scored, then looked at you and smiled, what did you think?” Yao’s translator, driver, and roommate Colin Pine explains his response: “I felt like it was old times back in the Chinese Basketball Association.”

Another reporter asks Yao if he’s looking ahead to the playoffs now that the Rockets have notched one more win, distancing themselves from Phoenix in the battle for the final playoff slot. “You don’t want to think too far into the future,” he says. “You just want to concentrate on the next game. I know you love to think about the playoffs. To me, the playoffs are very important.”

Generic questions, generic answers. I don’t get a chance to ask Ming Dynasty how his remarkable season has affected his outlook on life or if he thinks non-Asians will ever want to “be like Yao” because the translator stops taking questions and shoos everyone out of the locker room after a few minutes.

The Chinese reporters and photographers remain in the hallway, respectfully giving Yao space to chat in Mandarin with some visitors but also reluctant to leave his huge shadow. A reporter from the South China Morning News, who has flown out to follow Yao for a week, notes the human attraction to celebrities and remarks, “It’s kind of creepy, isn’t it?”

SOMEDAY ONE WAY

Yao has magnetism, but there’s definitely more to it than his burgeoning fame. In the spotlight of press conferences, he has shown wit. As a spokesperson for Visa check cards, Apple Computer, and, soon, Gatorade, he displays charm. And when confronted with dumb questions from the Chinese press or a “ching chong” message from Shaq, he’s nothing but gracious. But most importantly, he demonstrates skill and poise on the court that few experts expected.

This year, the Rockets have become the fourth highest drawing team in the NBA, behind only Michael Jordan’s Wizards, Allen Iverson’s 76ers, and the three-time champs. When he is introduced in visiting arenas, Yao gets as much applause as the home team. No fewer than three fan Web sites are dedicated to the ex-Shanghai Shark, and his marketing team is working with Upper Deck trading cards to make an official site. Everyone wants to get to know Yao, but he’s too busy adjusting his game, learning English, and adapting to life in the U.S.

Eventually, Yao will separate himself from the Asian boy bands, fortune cookie promotions, and other oriental baggage, making his plans, personality, and views known. But for a glimpse into the Chinese baller’s breakout year, we’ll have to wait for Colin Pine to pen a tell-all memoir.


3. exhibition game



Yao has arrived Changchun City. China NT will have an exhibition game with Jilin Tiger (a CBA team) tonight.

 

Another news about Yao.

Yao Ming is nominated "Best Breakthrough Athlete" of 2003 ESPY Award. This ESPY Awards will air on ESPN live from Hollywood's Kodak Theatre on July 16 at 9 p.m. ET.




http://espn.go.com/espy2003/s/03breakthroughnominees.html

 

The China NT totally dominated Jilin Tigers. The score of the first three quarters is 92-62. Yao Ming didn't try hard. He only played two quarters and had 15 points. They canceled the fourth quarter of game and divided NT into "red team" and "white team". These two "red" and "white" teams played the fourth quarter.

 

Yao Ming and Xue Yuyang (Nuggets' draft pick this year)